Commuter Land: Fast track to the City

The prospect of faster local trains on the Eurostar route is boosting property prices, reports GRAHAM NORWOOD

Paul and Joanne-Marie McKee are moving house quickly to beat the rush before one of the home counties’ slowest commuter lines is transformed into one of the fastest.

“For 10 years I’ve been commuting to central London from Kent, first from Maidstone and now from Ashford. The rolling stock is old, dirty and depressing. But in theory, all this should change in the next few years,” predicts Paul, a credit controller working close to the City.

Ashford remains one of the southeast’s cheapest commuter locations because journey times can reach 100 minutes. In 2007, they should drop to 45 minutes when fast tracks are introduced and Eurostar trains use a dedicated line instead of sharing with commuter services.

“My house is on sale for £165,000 but it’s almost doubled in value in four years. People are already moving in ahead of better services,” adds McKee. The family are selling their